Campaign Trail: Where the candidates are, March 14-20

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – This was the week after the Supreme Court (SC) decided to allow presidential candidate Grace Poe to run, reversing the ruling of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cancel her certificate of candidacy over citizenship and residency issues.

The SC ruling was expected to consolidate the support base not only of Poe but her running mate Francis Escudero. Expectedly, too, their rivals campaigned even harder to catch up with the two front runners in a race that various surveys showed remains tight.

Toward the end of the week, all roads led to Cebu for the second presidential debate organized by the Comelec.

Here are the presidential and vice presidential candidates’ schedules for the week of March 14 to 20:

 

Monday, March 14

• Vice presidential candidates participated in the Go Negosyo forum in Makati City at 5:30 pm.
• Presidential candidate Jejomar Binay was in San Fernando City in La Union in the morning, then held a motorcade around Tagudin, Santa Cruz, Santa Lucia, and Candon City in Ilocos Sur in the afternoon.
• Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte campaigned in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, and in Tacloban City, Leyte.
• Starting at 7 am, presidential candidate Grace Poe did the rounds of Iloilo City. She visited the Iloilo terminal market first thing in the morning, then attended the graduation of daycare students at Santa Barbara Gym in Iloilo City, before attending a multi-sectoral forum at the Santa Barbara Public Market at 9 am. She proceeded to another multisectoral forum at 10:15 am, this time at the Zarraga Public Market. She did pitstops at the Leganes Public Market and the Public Market before attending a forum at UP Iloilo main campust at 1:30 pm.
• Presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II started his day in Pangasinan with a visit to the Bangus Processing Facility in Magsaysay Fish Market in Dagupan City at 8 am, then proceeded, with his senatorial candidates, to Stadia, also in Dagupan City, for a 9 am District 4 multi-sectoral assembly. At 10:45 am, the team meet with governors and mayors from Ilocos Region and the Cordillera at Panaderia Antonio Bakery and Restaurant in Calasiao. Roxas held a motorcade from Calasiao to San Carlos and Malasique. President Benigno Aquino III joined the team at a rally at the Urdaneta Cultural and Sports Center at 3 pm.

 

Tuesday, March 15

• Duterte campaigned in Catarman, Northern Samar, and in Catbalogan City, Samar.
• Poe visited Laguna.
• Binay campaigned in Ilocos Sur.
• Roxas joined the ruling party in paying tribute to the late Jovito Salonga. Before that, he spoke to governors during the League of Provinces of the Philippines general assembly. 

 

Wednesday, March 16

• Binay did the rounds of Ilocos Sur, then proceeded to Ilocos Norte.
• Duterte stayed in Davao City, where he led the celebration of Araw ng Davao the whole day, starting from 8 am. 
• Roxas and Robredo campaigned in Batangas with President Aquino.

 

Thursday, March 17

• The Binay team went back to Ilocos Sur for another round of sorties.
• Poe and Escudero were planning to visit Cavite.
• Roxas and Robredo campaigned in Pampanga with President Aquino then attended a forum with the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated. Before the Pampanga rally, Robredo visited Isabela. 

 

Friday, March 18

• Duterte planned to visit Novaliches in Quezon City.
• Poe held a rally in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
• Robredo ventured north into Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte.

 

Saturday, March 19

• Duterte led the installation of officers of the masonic lodge of San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, at the San Leonardo Gymnasium at 2 pm. By 7 pm, he was campaigning in Pampanga.
• Poe arrived in Cebu for the Sunday debate.
• Robredo attended a Women’s Month event in Laguna. 

 

Sunday, March 20

• Only  4 presidential candidates joined the second Comelec-organized debate at the University of the Philippines-Cebu, from 5-8 pm. Miriam Defensor Santiago skipped the debate for medical tests.
• Robredo was in Quezon province. 

 

This page was constantly updated throughout the week as advisories from candidates’ camps and their supporters came in. – Rappler.com